Quick! Hop over to Swift Street.

 We had such fun during our long weekend in Santa Cruz, I wanted to show you everything! As we were driving to the beach to catch one more sunset, we passed by a newly gentrified warehouse area in Santa Cruz's West Side that has been turned into a gem of a shopping and food experience! Swift Street Courtyard made it's transformation in '07 with new shops being added just this last month. Tim and I are always interested in how industrial areas can be transformed, so we had to stop in and take a look around.

It seems I have Bakery Radar, because Kelly's French Bakery immediately caught my eye. Everything looked scrumptious! They serve breakfast and lunch, but when we happened upon it, it was almost dinner time. We are looking forward to spending more time here next time we are in Santa Cruz!

It seems that Kelly and Mark Sanchez, owners of Kelly's French Bakery were instrumental in the transformation at Swift Street setting the whole thing in motion when they purchased property in 2000. For more info about their start here, click HERE.

 The newest addition to the Swift Street Family is a Charcuterie which opened in February, el Salchichero. There is nothing quite like a local butcher for foodies like us. For all of the scoop be sure to check out their website! Fantastic find, this. 

Next up.....Illuminee, Lighting, Design and Decor  was the perfect little lighting resource for the designer in me. Fun and modern: 

Cameron Marks Boutique was a fun and quirky women's wear and gift boutique. We were there on a Sunday afternoon, so could not open the door. Believe me, I tried. It is on my list for the next trip! It looks like my kind of shopping spree. For more photos of the goodies within, click HERE.

There were plenty of things open for us to explore on a Sunday afternoon however!

 Santa Cruz Mountain Brewing Tap Room for one. More than friendly, and what a great way to spend the afternoon! And I love their mantra: Think Organic, Drink Organic.

 Right across the way was the Bonny Doon Wine Tasting Room:

The Harry Potter floating wine bottles throughout the space were just the start of the imaginative interiors. The Magnum bottles used as a window screen were brilliant!

 Wine keg staves were used everywhere, from the water feature to the privacy screening on the booths.

 It looked like a bit of wine was left at the bottom of the bottles that made up this chandelier...nice touch!

 The Cellar Cafe shares the space with the tasting room and is owned and operated by the Bonney Doon team led by "president for life" Randall Grahm and restaurateur David Kinch. For more on the story, hop on over HERE. Loved the space and the casual fun design. Seasonal menus are our favorite kind....so we will be back soon!

For more about the shops at Swift Street Courtyard check out THIS ARTICLE. Somehow we missed the Gin Distillery! Next time.....

 After our long day, it was time to follow the sunset and dream about our next visit to Santa Cruz.

Have a very happy Weekend!

Santa Cruz: Stripe

Stripe Sign made with Antique Keys above the Cash Desk

Santa Cruz has a lot to offer in the way of shopping, and I think it will take a few more trips before I have exhausted the possibilities. I think I may have lucked into finding one of the best last weekend. Stripe drew my attention right off the bat with their witty window display of vintage globes and player piano reels which had been unrolled and draped over an old ladder.

Stripe is a place with a little of everything I love: fashion, vintage finds, creative decor, art and gifts. Here is just a little peek into Stripe:

Cute clothes, vintage furniture and dishes, fun porcelain egg crate cache dishes

Black and White Photos, Vintage cups and Saucers and a peek into the "Bath Shop"

Hummingbird Pillows and 6 dollar scarves!

Train Track Wall "Art" and birds on swings

Now I know what to do with the boxes of Lionel Train Tracks I have been storing from my Dad's vast collection.

Romantic vintage style lingerie

Loved the display stand! Vintage Dining Set and Stripe has Men's clothes too!

Decor, Cards and Lamps throughout the shop

Tea Cup Pendant Light

Vintage Children's Toys. Very cute Children's Clothes. Loved the Slide used for display.

The Bath Shop with Soaps, Bath Rugs and Pretty Night Gowns

Stripe supports local artisans and designers, and in July, Stripe launched their own label for clothing and other products all made in Santa Cruz. All the more reason to hit the Santa Cruz coast!

For the latest Stripe News, click on over HERE.

Happy Shopping!

Cruisin' in Santa Cruz

Shopping on Pacific Street

I was in Santa Cruz, California over the weekend for my daughter's college orientation and we had a lot of fun exploring the campus as well as the town of Santa Cruz. Even though we have traveled quite a bit throughout California, Santa Cruz is a town we did not know well. This trip, we had the chance to walk around town and explore a little more.

The main shopping area in town is Pacific Street, which has loads of charm. There are many well known shops, like Urban Outfitters, Gap and Borders Books, but mainly the shops are independently owned (tomorrow, I will show you my favorite shop!). We found lots of cute restaurants as well. Tim as particularly taken with the sidewalk "Fast Food" Kiosks like Alfresco. Check out their deliciously fresh and healthy menu!

Alfresco in Santa Cruz

And of course, I was charmed by the vintage tables surrounding the kiosk...

No trip to Santa Cruz is quite complete without a visit to the Beach and the Santa Cruz Boardwalk. It was a beautiful day on Friday when we got to town, and I couldn't resist taking a few snapshots.

Main Beach in Santa Cruz

The Boardwalk was crowded and full of energetic color. We had to try the cinnamon covered almonds and the chocolate dipped ice cream cones. (I was saving the deep-fried Snickers bar for Sunday trip to the State Fair with my girls.) Here's what caught my eye at the Boardwalk:

Sky Gondolas at the Santa Cruz Boardwalk

The Giant Dipper Roller Coaster...first opened in 1925

Sea Swings, the Boardwalks newest ride

Palm trees lining Beach Street

It was a quick trip, but there will be many more to come now that we have the perfect excuse to visit!